Head Over Heels
by ih8writersblock
Summary: Jane and Jester come to a little understanding after a little mishap in the yard. CHAPTER 5 NOW UP! JaneJester, PepperRake...
1. Falling

Head Over Heals

Ch 1: Falling

A/N: here's my second little Jane/Jester fic. I think there just so cute together! Hope you like…

Disclaimer: I don't own JatD!

It was a fairly typical day at the castle. Jane and Gunther were sparring in the yard while Jester and Dragon looked on. A fairly typical conversation continued: Gunther's taunts, Jane's retorts, and Jester's…_clever_ commentary.

"Clearly you are outmatched Jane…why don't you just give up?"

"Boghead!" she shouted giving Gunther a sound blow to the chest.

"And another spectacular hit from Jane! Clearly Gunther is outmatched…" Jester added from the background.

"Don't you think your commentary is a bit-" Gunther grunted taking a blow to the head, "biased?"

"I rather like it," Dragon murmured from his perch on the wall.

"You-would…" Gunther groaned. Gunther delivered a blow to Jane's knees knocking her to the ground. Quickly she jumped back to her feet delivering a quick jab to his stomach.

"Another excellent jab by Jane…" Jester continued.

Dragon flew down to the ground moving closer to the conflict shouting aimless instructions in Jane's direction.

"Say the word Jane and he's charcoal," he muttered.

"Is anyone here-on my side?" Gunther panted irritably.

"No…" Dragon retorted clearly amused by the situation.

The fight proceeded to migrate closer and closer to the spectators, Jester almost receiving a blow to the head.

"Not funny!" he shouted toppling back onto his elbows as Dragon laughed.

"Actually, I found it quite amusing," Dragon laughed, "I think I'll take my leave!" He pulled himself up slowly from the ground, "Leave you short lives to fritter away your…short lives," he said chuckling at his pun. At that he turned on his heels (not so gracefully) whipping his tail around narrowly missing Jesters head and then hitting Jane behind her knees.

"I give up!" Jester shouted flattening himself to the ground. Jane teetered for a moment and then toppled over directly on top of Jester. They're eyes locked, noses barely touching as she felt the heat rushing to her cheeks. He continued to stare at her unblinking trapped beneath her unable to move. She stared at him and to her surprise she didn't move, couldn't move her muscles seemingly paralyzed.

"Sorry about that," Dragon muttered breaking the trance.

"I believe that was a win for me," Gunther taunted smugly, "I'll leave you two alone…" He chuckled, but a burst of flames from Dragon sent him running quickly from the yard. After what seemed like an age, Jane rolled herself to the ground and pulled herself to her feet, Jester following her shortly there after.

"I-I have to go practice-my-jokes…" he murmured embarrassedly his pale cheeks flooded with color, "Comedy never takes a break you know…"

She nodded, "And I have to-meet with-Pepper!" The two proceeded to turn on there heels sprinting in opposite directions.

A/N: I plan on updating as soon as I can. Hope you like, will have more fluff in later chapters. 


	2. Word Spreads

Head Over Heels

Ch 2: Word Spreads

A/N: I'm back! Hope you enjoy chapter two…

Disclaimer: I do not own JatD (cries)

"I don't know what happened," a flustered Jane explained to Pepper, "I couldn't move. It was like I was frozen." She put her head into her arms, her fiery red hair fanning over the table. Pepper gave a sly, I-know-exactly-what-happened smile with a happy twinkle in her eyes. Jane looked up eyeing her cautiously.

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"I've never felt so foolish in my entire life and I'm…me!" Jester explained desperately to Smithy who listened intently as he hammered away at a horseshoe.

"You should go talk to her…" Smithy offered, wiping the sweat off his brow.

"But what should I say?"

Smithy simply shrugged, "I can't help you there."

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"Dinners ready!" Pepper yelled to her friends who slowly were making there way towards the table. She and Rake placed down various dishes as people took their seats. She watched, with slight disappointment, as Jester and Jane sat down about as far away from each other as physically possible. Both turned their heads down, seemingly very intent on their food. Pepper looked back and forth between the two, another knowledgeable smile gracing her lips. Rake followed the path of her head and proceeded to stare at her as though she was speaking in tongues. Pepper just smiled at him with a look that said, "I'll tell you later." Jane was first to finish her dinner jumped up from the table muttering a quick goodbye she ran off to go on patrol with Dragon. Jester left shortly there after, only then did Pepper lean over to Rake, whispering something in his ear. He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise a smile spreading across his face as well.

A/N: Sorry it's a little short, it seemed to work ending it here. I hope to update soon. Reviews are always appreciated!


	3. Meetings

Head Over Heels

Meetings

A/N: I'm back…I am sooo very sorry this took so long! Writers block…hence the penname. Sorry the last chapter was so short; this one is a little longer! Thanks to all my reviewers, you all rock! Well here goes…

Disclaimer: I don't own JatD, wish I did….

Jester mulled over his options in his head: go talk to Jane; keep avoiding Jane as long as possible, leave the country…no that was stupid. If he were to talk to her, what was he going to say anyway? There was not exactly logical way to apologize for someone falling on top of you. But still he felt the need to at least do…something, after all they could not go on not looking at each other forever. So summing up courage from some unknown source he set off to find her.

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Jane was tired…no she was exhausted. The match with Gunther this morning took a lot out of her (not that she would _ever_ admit it) but it was her current situation with Jester that she found more draining. He had been her friend as long as she could remember but was something as foolish as this really going to drive a wedge between them? She couldn't let that happen…but what to do about it? She quickly dismounted Dragon's back after their patrol.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" he asked her quietly.

"No…"

"Is there something bothering you?"

"No…"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Well in that case…you know where I'm off to!"

"Cows…?"

He gave a short nod before taking off. She stood at watched until he became nothing but a silhouette on the moon. At that she stumbled drowsily off to her room, the happiest moment she had experienced so far was pushing the door open and discarding her things on the floor. She lit a solitary candle and was about to undress when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped about a mile brandishing her candle. In its soft glow she saw the dim outline of a rather shocked Jester.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to scare you," he muttered looking down at his feet. She mumbled something incoherent and proceeded to focus on some point far above his left ear. She would give anything to be asleep right now…

They stood in awkward silence for quite some time until Jane blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry about what happened this morning, and that I've ignored you all day. You didn't do anything…I don't know what happened I just sort of-"

"Froze," he offered gently. She nodded feeling the heat again rushing to her cheeks.

"I don't know what happened…" she murmured wishing her face would stop betraying her.

"Do you?" he asked a sly smile pulling at his lips.

"Jester!" she yelled smacking at him playfully letting her hand linger on his shoulder just for a moment. Just then the door burst open…

"Jane, Sir Theodore wanted me to tell you that-oh!" Gunther stopped short grinning wickedly, "Just can't stay away can you?"

"We were just talking," Jester offered somewhat meekly.

"Of course…" Gunther taunted, "Jane, we have a test tomorrow…"

He gave a last a curt little nod before shutting the door behind him.

"I should be-" Jester started.

"Yes," Jane murmured shortly, "We are alright now aren't we?"

He nodded giving her a rather fond smile before darting from the room. At that Jane collapsed onto her bed and _finally_ she fell asleep.

A/N: There it is…it's a bit longer! Stupid Gunther always ruins the moment! Hope you guys enjoyed! And remember reviews are appreciated…


	4. Define Fun

Head Over Heals

Define "Fun"

A/N: Hey everybody!!! Please don't hate me… (cowers under desk in fear) I'm soooo very sorry it's taken me almost four months to update. I shudder at the thought of it, it's just that I've had a severe case of writers block and the most ridiculously hectic schedule….Anyway, thank you so much for all of your reviews, you are all amazing!

Disclaimer: I don't own JatD, and haven't for the last four months (hides…)

Jane awoke and stretched luxuriously untangling herself from a mass of sheets and blankets. Pulling herself slowly into a sitting position, she dangled her bare feet over the edge of the bed stepping into a warm shaft of sunlight that was slanting through the window. Slowly she pulled on her tunic descending to the yard. Taking her seat at breakfast table she noticed Pepper had set her down a plate for her already. Soon the latter had sat down beside her propping her chin on her hands fixing her with an impish grin.

"So how was your night?" Pepper asked at a poor attempt at casual. Jane nodded unable to form words through a mouthful a food, then swallowing hard she furrowed her brows.  
"Why?" she asked with a somewhat knowledgeable curiosity.

Pepper shrugged innocently, "You seemed tired, just making sure you slept well…" her voice trailed off.

"Fine," was the rather strained response. Pepper allowed a flicker of disappointment to cross her features but it was short lived as Rake had just approached the table his face smudged with dirt.

"Already working so early?" she asked a bit breathlessly placing down his plate with excessive flourish. He gave her a tired nod, bending over his plate.

"So," she continued, "I was just talking to Jane about her night last night…"

Rake lifted his head his eyes glimmering with interest. He and Pepper exchanged small smiles.

"Yes Jane," he murmured, "How was it?"

"It was fine," Jane snapped keeping her face composed. At that she rose from the table, briefly thanking Pepper for the meal before walking off. Pepper and Rake erupted into peals of silent laughter. Rake started coughing evidently some bit of breakfast lodged in his throat; Pepper whacked him hard on the back clearing his airway. He gasped a quick thanks grabbing her hand as she attempted to withdraw it. He looked up at her and they exchanged a lingering stare his thumb and forefinger still wrapped loosely around her wrist. At that moment Gunther came strolling towards the table rolling his eyes expressively.

"Not the two of you too…" he sighed exasperatedly. "The two of you" broke out into another laughing fit. And Gunther strode away from the table apparently finding the two of them too sickening to eat near.

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Jane now had a nagging need to find someone to take out her growing frustration on. Then a brilliant idea popped into her head: Gunther. Yes, it was high time for sparring practice. She smiled to herself setting out towards the yard. There she met Gunther, oddly enough, eating his breakfast cross legged on the ground. She grabbed her stave tapping him on the shoulder lowering her eyebrows in her best I-challenge-you-to-a-duel face. He jumped up returning her look with his best I-accept-your-challenge-and-I-am-so-much-better-than-you face. The first few minutes of the match went by rather uneventfully. Finally the two staves collided above their heads with equal force locking them in a fine balance, each trying to push the other out, faces nearly inches away from each other.

"So did you have fun last night?" he asked her, a wicked grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. This set her over the edge, she heaved, setting him off balance, and landing him sprawled out on the ground.

"Define 'fun'," she growled through gritted teeth. He looked up at her innocently waggling his eyebrows. She glared at him in irritation.

"I'm not stupid Jane…" he continued.

"You look it," she muttered blocking his attempt at a hit.

"The two of you just can't stay away from each other," he smirked.

She lashed out hard and hit him in the head with excess force leaving him again sprawled out on the ground. He stalked off in a huff leaving her with a minor sense of satisfaction. Dragon swooped in overhead with a similar satisfied smile.

"Nice job Jane," he chuckled, "Next time, take his head off, at least it will stop him from talking…"

She gave a small chuckle, "I'll try," she said.

"So how was your night," he asked conversationally. She sighed irritably, rolling her eyes, and with a groan she turned and left.

"Fine, Dragon. And how was your night?" Dragon muttered in and imitation (several octaves to high, mind you) of Jane's voice, "Fine thank you," he answered himself, "I spent my evening counting cows."

He watched the tips of her red hair whipping around the corner before shaking his head and muttering, "Shortlives…."

Jane marched irritably to the stables where she found Smithy tending to the horses. She smiled at him lowering herself to the ground and leaning comfortably against the wall.  
"Hullo Smithy…" she muttered settling her head on her folded arms. He gave her a rather uncharacteristic wry smile which she returned with a look of horror.

"So how are….things?" he asked the corners of his eyes crinkling in a grin.

"GAH!" She darted from the stables in an attempt to get to her room, or at least confront Jester about why he thought it was a grand idea to inform the entire castle about their evening encounter.

Finally she found the current target of her irritation resting against the fountain practicing his juggling.

"Hello Jane," he said looking up at her smiling brightly one ball bouncing of the top of his head, the others landing in the fountain spraying them both with water.

"Jester," she responded in her best attempt at stiffly against those puppy-dog eyes.

"So, how was-"

She gave a cry somewhat like a strangled cat, throwing her hands up in the air and stalking of.

"…sparring practice," Jester stuttered with a look of disappointment and confusion.

A/N: And that's a wrap…for now. I don't plan on taking another four months to update this time. I was making an attempt at fluffy/funny I hope it worked…


	5. Romantic Tension

Head Over Heels

Romantic Tension

A/N: Yay!!! I'm hoping you all consider this a significantly faster update that the last chapter. I'm also rather glad I can stop cowering under my desk in fear. You are all too kind…. I think this is the longest chapter yet!

Disclaimer: I do not own JatD…I'm also growing tired of saying that, it's like rubbing salt in the wound.

Jester was frankly quite disappointed, he hadn't even eaten lunch yet and he was already no longer on speaking terms with Jane…again. He wasn't sure he could handle another awkward evening conversation. Leaving the country was looking more appealing by the hour but still…it was stupid. Once again he was left with only one option: _talk to Jane._ He shuddered at the thought of the long awkward periods of silence until one of them finally shattered it. So he set off in search of her hoping beyond hope that talking to her would be less difficult during the day.

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Jane sat positively fuming on the swing allowing her legs to dangle inches from the ground her toes barely brushing the grass. How dare they all have the _audacity_ to question her about her night? She then thought some more about how absolutely ridiculous she sounded. She racked her brain thinking to think of one friend she could still talk to that she wasn't irritable with. There weren't any…Then she thought of the root of her problems: _Jester._ Just the previous night they had been fine and now they were back where they had started the morning prior. She watched from across the yard as a familiar blue clad prankster was searching for something. Then with a feeling of mingled horror and mild appreciation, she came to the amazing conclusion that he was out in search of her. So doing what every good squire does in the face of danger, she hid flinging herself behind the nearest of Rake's precious bushes.

"Jane!" Jester called desperately having searched nearly everywhere, "Jane!!!"

It was then he noticed that the swing was still swinging and there was a fair bit of dust rising from behind a nearby bush. Curious, he moved surprisingly stealthily to the backside of the bush, from which was protruding a very familiar body crouched on all fours head evidently in the branches on the look out. For lack of a better way to get her attention he poked her gently in the side. The head inside the bush emitted a surprised yell and there was a loud thud, a head hitting a branch.

"Owww," came the low moan from within the branches.

"Jane-I-I-I-are you all right?" he finally stuttered as she withdrew her head from the branches turning the same brilliant shade of red as her hair.

"Fine," she muttered stiffly, rubbing her head a little streaking dirt through her leaf choked hair.

"I just came to ask what happened…again…"

She looked at him incredulously as though she had expected him to know.

"Why did you tell the whole castle that something _happened_?" she hissed vehemently.

"I-I-I-I…what?" he spluttered totally confused.

"Why did everyone I saw today ask me how my night went?" she demanded.

"Everyone-I didn't say a thing-how…oh," he stammered a look of dawning realization spreading across his face.

"Oh?" she questioned irritably.

"Pepper, Rake, Smithy, and I…talked for a while last night…" he explained slowly, "About how I should go about talking to you and such."

"And such…" she repeated warily, the irritation slowly ebbing from her voice.

"Talking you know…." He filled in quickly, his voice cracking as it did when he got nervous.

"Then why did they all seem to suggest something else happened?" she murmured slightly testily.

"I-I don't know," he babbled his voice cracking again.

"You said something!" she shrieked, "You lied to them…to me!"

"No wait-I didn't-I never-I wouldn't…!" But it was too late, he watched in desperation as the last bit of her fiery red hair whipped around the corner.

Prior to this conversation Gunther had been skulking around as he tended to do, when he had happened across a rather interesting situation playing out on the other side of the yard. Jesters blue glad rump was poking out from behind the bush as he was crouched on his hands and knees. From behind Jester's blond head Gunther could see the edges of Jane's frizzy red hair. It took him about three absolutely revolting seconds to figure out what was obviously going on. With a look of obvious disgust he fled the scene before he could ever see Jane run off in a huff.

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Gunther eventually made his way towards the gardens preparing to eat lunch; he was just about to settle himself at the table when he heard loud giggles from emanating from the kitchens below. Apprehensively he peered around the wall from atop the stairs. Below a great pot of soup was bubbling over the fire, not an abnormal occurrence in the kitchens, however, the scene that played out before his eyes was one quite unlike he had ever he seen before. Rake tore clumsily around the kitchen taking some of his precious vegetables and tossing them at random into the soup watching as bits of it splashed into the crackling flames below. Pepper chased after him overcome by giggles trying to smack his hand away before he made any further moves to add to the recipe.

"Rake…stop!" she managed to pant jokingly between peals of giggles.

Finally Rake heeded to her wishes but only because he had run out of ammunition, Pepper continued to giggle clutching a stitch in her side. Gunther continued to watch the plot unfold in utter disgust. Rake gave the pot a few superficial stirs before collecting a small bit on the spoon and offering it to Pepper breathing heavily. Cautiously she sipped it.

"How was it?" Rake asked.

"Delicious," Pepper said her voice laced with more giggles. For a moment the stood close as Rake wrapped his arms around her waist, their faces both illuminated by dancing firelight, he was quick to close the gap between them. At that Gunther rolled his eyes, turned on his heels, and sat back at the table pretending he had seen nothing…and wishing beyond all reason he had seen nothing.

Meanwhile, in the kitchens Pepper and Rake stood with their lips pressed lightly together. Rake, seemingly realizing the huge risk he had just taken pulled back quickly leaving Pepper's wide eyes gazing into his unblinking ones. He felt the heat rise in his cheeks as he blushed an extraordinary shade of scarlet. He watched the same color stain Pepper's pale cheeks and suddenly both of them seemed in a sudden hurry to finish preparing lunch.

Upstairs in the world of sunshine and further romantic tension Jester and Jane had chosen to sit once again as far away from each other as was humanly possible, taking in mind the proportions of the table. Jane looking positively mutinous stared resolutely at the empty stretch of table before her. Jester kept casting sad glances in Jane's direction but was met by stony silence. Smithy, who was trapped between the two, looked back and forth between them with a look of subtle interest as though he were watching a mildly amusing ping pong game. Gunther refused to make eye contact with anyone and was wearing the same disgusted expression he'd worn almost all day.

Minutes later Pepper and Rake made there way upstairs to serve food both blushing furiously in the midday sun. Lunch progressed in silence for nearly ten minutes, the air so taut with tension you could slice it with a knife. The only noise came from the clicking of spoons and the occasional sigh from Pepper or Jester. Finally seeming as though he may go berserk Gunther jumped up from the table dropping his spoon with a clatter, "All right! I've had it!" he shouted, "All of you and all of your _romantic tension_…it's-it's _SUFFOCATING _me!!!"

And at that he marched from the table carrying his lunch with him. Jane, Jester, Pepper, and Rake all looked slightly bemused as thought they had no idea what he was talking about, the usually unshakeable Smithy looked positively alarmed.

"Well then," Jester murmured in mock affronted tones, "How very rude…"

Pepper broke out into another fit of giggles, Smithy and Rake laughed heartily, and even Jane managed a dry chuckle.

Well as for Gunther, he proceeded to eat a quiet meal in the yard, alone, in the dirt…again.

A/N: Alas for poor Gunther…(I laugh at him!) Shame that I didn't make Jester and Jane make up and relieve all the tension because that seemed like it would have been a splendid ending to the story…Oh well! There is still more fluff, chapters, and _suffocating romantic tension_ to come! Jester plushies to reviewers ;)


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